FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. _ Tropical Storm Debby picked up speed but lost strength Wednesday in the far north Atlantic Ocean.
Debby had been a subtropical storm _ meaning it lacked the characteristics to become a full-fledged cyclone. The system became a tropical storm Wednesday morning.
As of 5 p.m. EDT, Debby had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Debby is moving toward the northeast at 15 mph and is expected to slowly weaken and dissipate over the cold water of the north Atlantic by Thursday night.
The storm poses no threat to land, according to forecasters.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
The peak time of the Atlantic hurricane season stretches between mid August and late October when historically the largest storms have done the most damage.
A cooler Atlantic has experts seeing quieter remainder of the hurricane season
The risk of a hurricane striking the United States during the remainder of the summer is lower than average, experts said in an updated seasonal forecast released last Thursday.
The conditions needed to stir up hurricanes are lacking, noted Phil Klotzbach and Michael Bell of Colorado State University's Tropical Meteorology Project. Warm ocean temperatures and strong wind shear are contributing to the lack of activity.
The Colorado State experts now call for five hurricanes in total this year.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is expected to release its midseason forecast Thursday.
There have been three named Atlantic storms this year: Subtropical Storm Alberto formed in May, followed by hurricanes Beryl and Chris.
